WWF WRESTLING
From CIVIC CENTER
PITTSBURGH, PA
1/25/83
 
 
 
ANGELO MOSCA DEF. FRANK DUSEK via a piledriver
 
MAGIC DRAGON w/ARMAN HUSSEIN DEF. CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW via a nerve hold
 
TENRYU w/ARMAN HUSSEIN DEF. DOMINIC DENNUCCI via a Boston Crab
 
KING TONGA w/LOU ALBANO DEF. IVAN PUTSKI
Putski comes out with early offense getting the crowd on its feet but Tonga has the last laugh as he wears him down, hits a thrust kick on him and nails him with his flying headbutt for the win.
 
INTERMISSION
 
TONY GAREA/RICK MARTEL/ROCKY JOHNSON DEF. ARMAN HUSSEIN/MR FUJI/MASA SAITO w/SKANDOR AKBAR
 
Devastation Inc comes out and works over Garea, they keep him from his corner and get numerous two counts on him before he makes the tag to his team. Rocky comes in and cleans house and after working over Fuji, tags in Martel who gives him more of the same. Hussein and Saito interfere which brings in Rocky and Garea to pair off with them. All six men brawl as Martel slams Fuji and then goes on the apron to have Garea and Rocky sling shot him over the ropes onto Fuji. He makes the cover as Rocky and Garea stop anyone from interfering.
 
TITLE vs. TITLE:
 
DINO BRAVO vs. DON MURACO w/LOU ALBANO
 
This is a grudge match as both men pull out all the stops in it. Muraco comes out strong as he really works over Bravo early on making the crowd nervous that Bravo would lose his title. But just when it looks bleak, Bravo comes back and gives just what he got to Muraco. He is now on a roll and hits a big atomic drop on Muraco that sends him to the outside. Muraco huddles with Albano and they come up with a plan. Once back inside the ring, Muraco fights dirty with Bravo raking his eyes and giving him low blow. He is now in control and slowly works him over from this. Muraco keeps trying to get Bravo up in his tombstone but Bravo fights out of it again and again. Finally, Bravo turns the tide and makes his comeback. He has Muraco on the run and after a big body slam he tries to get him in the side suplex, Albano gets up on the ring and apron and tries to interfere, Bravo blasts him off the apron but not before he tosses brass knux to Muraco and he blasts Bravo with them. Muraco makes the cover and gets the three count.
 
Muraco thinks he has won the match and he grabs the WWF title and holds it over his head until another ref talks to the first ref and they announce a reversal of the match, giving Bravo a win via DQ with the crowd responding and Bravo grabbing his belt back from Muraco and sending him from the ring.
 
 
SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM w/BRUNO SAMMARTINO vs. DAVID SAMMARTINO
Graham comes down with Bruno to JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, and he poses in the ring getting cheers from the crowd, but David gets cheers from his section of fans when he comes out. This match is back and forth as both men really work over each other. David uses underhanded tactics to work over Billy and Superstar has to try and overcome that. David stomps on him and tries to injure him at every turn but after seeing his dad on the outside it allows David to ramp up his vile tactics even more. He is trying to send a message by punishing Billy Graham. But Billy starts to make his comeback, everytime  David blasts him Billy starts to shake a little more and more until he is all the way back in control the crowd is fully behind him now as he takes every fist David gives him and gives it right back. He tosses David into the ropes and hits a big knee to the face. Then he goes into the ropes and comes off with a leg drop on David. He makes the cover and gets the three count.  
 
After the match, he celebrates and poses for the crowd and Bruno comes in and raises his hand for the crowd to see.

Poor Frank Dusek. Does he know in an alternate reality he's drawing full houses with Roddy Piper?  
 
Strongbow and Putski are getting to the end of their ropes, so putting somebody over like Magic Dragon or Tonga makes sense.  
 
Fun six-man to come back from the intermission with the faces getting a nice win that allows single or tag matches down the road.  
 
Good ending in the title versus title match that doesn't devalue the I-C title, lets Muraco have a talking point to get another title shot, nut not leave Bravo looking bad.  
 
By rule, any alternate booking scenario has to have David Sammartino working heel against his Dad. It's just law. "Good" main event in the sense it would draw. Not so sure about the in-ring part, but I'm sure it'd get heated.

Great card with lots of appeal.  Graham & Sammartinos has been an interesting angle.  Like the "lieutenant" type role for Hussein with Akbar.
 
Looking forward to what is coming.